Indian Blast Furnace Restarted Following Accident
10/12/2015 - JSW Steel’s Salem works in Mecheri, Tamil Nadu, India, has restarted operations after being ordered closed following an accident in September, according to reports.
The Business Standard newspaper said the accident occurred when a pipe leaked blast furnace gas, sickening some workers who were performing routine maintenance. The company characterized the leak as minor.
However, Poomozhi, state president of Tamil Nadu People Rights Movement (TPRM), told The Times of India that 20 people passed out after inhaling carbon monoxide.
The company said the workers are being treated at hospitals. No deaths were reported.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board ordered the plant closed; it has since revoked the order.
JSW said the temporary closure, along with a maintenance outage at a blast furnace at its Vijayanagar helped lower the company’s crude steel production in the second quarter of fiscal 2016.
The company reported that second-quarter production declined slightly, falling about 0.2 percent to 3.25 million metric tons. In the same quarter last year, the company made 3.3 million metric tons.
Despite the decline, crude steel production rose 4 percent to 6.65 million metric tons during the first half of the year.
The company said the furnace has been shut down for a relining and is to be relit in early December 2015.
Flat rolled output also fell, declining 2 percent to 2.57 million metric tons. Meanwhile, long products output increased 15 percent to 640,000 metric tons during the quarter.
However, Poomozhi, state president of Tamil Nadu People Rights Movement (TPRM), told The Times of India that 20 people passed out after inhaling carbon monoxide.
The company said the workers are being treated at hospitals. No deaths were reported.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board ordered the plant closed; it has since revoked the order.
JSW said the temporary closure, along with a maintenance outage at a blast furnace at its Vijayanagar helped lower the company’s crude steel production in the second quarter of fiscal 2016.
The company reported that second-quarter production declined slightly, falling about 0.2 percent to 3.25 million metric tons. In the same quarter last year, the company made 3.3 million metric tons.
Despite the decline, crude steel production rose 4 percent to 6.65 million metric tons during the first half of the year.
The company said the furnace has been shut down for a relining and is to be relit in early December 2015.
Flat rolled output also fell, declining 2 percent to 2.57 million metric tons. Meanwhile, long products output increased 15 percent to 640,000 metric tons during the quarter.
